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Vittoriano / Victor Emmanuel II Monument

The Unification of Italy

The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument, or the Vittoriano was built to commemorate the unification of Italy and to honor King Emmanuel II. Located at the southern end of Piazza Venezia in Rome, the monument is made of white marble and has a viewing platform at its top.

The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument, or the Vittoriano, is located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill at the southern end of Piazza Venezia in Rome, rising in along the hill. The memorial is made of White Marble, and with its 16 Corinthian columns in the upper part of the building and its completely symmetrical structure, the locals often call it “The Wedding cake” or “The Typewriter”.

Manywhere Trivia:
It got nicknames such as “The Wedding cake” and “The Typewriter” because the architectural style of the monument does not fit in with the Colosseum, The Roman Forum and the Trajan’s Forum nearby.

The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II), built to commemorate the unification of Italy and the Italian King Emmanuel II, who made it possible, has a Bronze Statue of Emmanuel II on Horseback in the front. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier below the bronze statue was begun in 1921 for the burial and consolation of the Unknown Soldiers who died in World War I.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Manywhere Trivia:
The Italian word Vittoriano and Vittorio are equal to Victor in English.

Because of the elevated terrain, the upper terrace of the memorial offers a view of the surrounding city. You can Overlook Piazza Venezia to the north, the Trajan's Forum and the Colosseum to the southeast, and even find the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican from afar to the west.

The main hall of the Vittoriano, the Atrium of Liberty, is sacred and solemn with its vaulted ceiling and columns in the style of a Roman Basilica. Inside the atrium, there is a Unity of the Homeland Exhibition, which introduces the Italian unification movement that took place between the 19th and 20th centuries and the stories behind it.